On the Way to a Smile
by smileplease91
Summary: First chapter starts out sad, but the chapters after are how the Dragonborn picks up the broken pieces of her life after a tragedy. She will learn to laugh, love, and be happy again with the help of her son. Also, it is the continuance of my first fanfic of Laethea and Farkas (Oathkeeper was my first fanfic).
1. Chapter 1

Four years passed after Laethea and Farkas had their child. Four happy years full of change, joy, and tears. Even though four years had passed, Farkas could still vividly remember how close he was to losing Laethea the night she gave birth to Mykolas. The promise he made to her, about remaining by her side no matter what, was ever stronger and linked to Mykolas as well. Time and time again, he would look down at his wedding band that had scratches and dents in it due to his hard work and the battles he and Laethea experienced years before. He was proud to have that band on his finger. Mykolas looked just like Farkas, but had Laethea's eyes. Farkas thought that he could never love someone like he loved Laethea, but that little boy proved him wrong. Now nearly five years old, Mykolas was in many ways like Farkas and Laethea: Farkas due to his kindness and warmth, and Laethea due to his courage and joviality. Laethea stayed at home while Farkas would work at his blacksmithing store. He had opened up his own forge and shop shortly after Mykolas was born, and he had made quite a name for himself. He would hunt after he closed shop for the night and come home with food every time; Farkas was an impressive hunter. However, his and Laethea's time journeying and fighting were over. They were parents now, and they had not fought in nearly five years. Mykolas was often told stories by Aela about how fiercely his mother and father fought years ago, and how they were heroes in the eyes of the people of Skyrim.

Life was going well.

One night, after Farkas returned home from hunting, Laethea noticed he was running a high fever. He had not complained about feeling ill, and she asked him if he was well. He replied that he was just tired, and that he would stay home the next day so he could get rest and prevent himself from getting sick. The next day, however, Farkas was in poor health. Laethea called for the alchemist, who gladly came and examined Farkas, only to inform Laethea that she did not know what was causing Farkas' illness. She suggested to Laethea to not let Mykolas into the room so as to not let him become ill, and this in turn broke Farkas' heart, but he understood. Vilkas would spend his nights at Breezehome looking after his brother while Laethea slept; he was worried for his brother as well, and it hurt him so to see Farkas, who was so strong, nearly broken by this strange illness.

A month passed by, and Farkas was still not better. The alchemist would come one a day to check on him, and whatever was causing him to be ill was still a mystery to her. Laethea was grateful for all the kindness the people of Whiterun gave to them, and the Companions also helped them. Mykolas would often come to the door to just talk to his father, and sometimes, Farkas would ask Laethea to leave the door open so he could watch his son play. The sickness was taking its toll on Farkas. He was losing muscle mass and weight, and his complexion was pale. Dark circles formed under his eyes. Just when Laethea thought she was going to lose him, he took a turn for the better. His complexion went back to its original color, and the dark circles lightened slightly. He was finally able to get up and move around, and soon, he was back to work, hunting, and playing with Mykolas. Three months went by, and life returned to normal. Or so Farkas led his wife and others to believe.

One evening, after putting Mykolas to bed, Laethea walked outside to see Farkas staring the nighttime sky. She walked up to and put her arm around his waist, which was still drastically thin from the weight he lost while he was ill, and leaned her head on his shoulder. Farkas reached his arm around her shoulders and held her to him. They stood still for a moment and let the feeling of closeness sink in. She then decided to speak.

"You're getting sick again… aren't you?" she asked. Farkas said nothing; he could never lie to his wife, but he did not want to scare her, either. On the other hand, his silence gave her the answer. "So you are."

"Everyone gets sick, love."

"I suppose…" she whispered. "Say… we haven't ever taken Mykolas to see High Hrothgar. I'm sure the Elders would love to meet the son of the Dragonborn, wouldn't you say?"

"Now that you mention it, we haven't."

"I think we should take him," Laethea suggested.

"It's a little too cold now, love. I mean, it's cold up there anyway, but with winter almost here, it would be practically impossible."

Laethea sighed. "You're right. We'll just have to wait until next summer, won't we?" When she noticed Farkas did not say anything, she looked down at the ground and held tightly onto his arm. "Won't we?"

"Yeah."

"…You promise?"

Farkas looked down at the ground as well. "I promise."

Laethea felt a lump rise in her throat, but she forced herself and swallowed it. She had nearly lost him, and the thought of him getting sick again, even if it was just a cold, scared her. Two weeks passed, and Farkas was still in decent health. He worked and hunted just like he did for the past four years. One day, however, it was pouring rain, so Farkas came home. Just as he drew closer to the house, he noticed Mykolas standing outside in the rain. He ran to his son and knelt down to him.

"Mykolas? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Mykolas simply answered.

"Where is your mother? Does she know you're out here?"

"She's inside cooking, and no. I sneakeded past her so I could wait for you."

Farkas smiled. "You sneakeded, huh? Well, you could get sick standing out here in this cold rain. Let's go inside where it's warm."

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Are you sick again?"

Farkas' eyes widened for a moment, but he corrected himself and smiled at Mykolas. "What made you think that?"

"I heard you talking to Mommy one night. She said something about you getting sick again. Are you?"

Farkas shook his head. "No, buddy, I'm not getting sick."

Mykolas shifted his weight from one foot to another and looked down at the ground. Farkas could tell that there was still something his son wanted to say, so he patiently stayed knelt in front of him.

"Daddy?"

"Hmm?"

"Please don't get sick again… because… it made me really sad... and… and I love you, so don't get sick."

Farkas looked at Mykolas' cheeks to see tears streaming down them. This broke his heart, and he reached out and gently took his son in his arms. He held him tightly and rocked him back and forth while Mykolas wept. Farkas had to choke back tears of his own as he comforted his son.

"I love you too, Mykolas."

Two more weeks passed by, and winter was now upon Whiterun. Snow fell lightly every few days, but true winter was just around the corner. Farkas returned home from work early one day and told Laethea that he was tired and needed rest. He walked up the stairs to go to his and Laethea's bedroom… Laethea heard a thump on the floor above her. She ran upstairs to see Farkas lying on the floor. Scared breathless, she ran to him and knelt down beside him, relieved to see he was awake. He was hot to the touch, and she knew he was sick again. She helped him to his feet and to their bed then called for the alchemist again. Once more, the alchemist did not know what was causing Farkas' illness. The routine set in again where Laethea would take care of Farkas during the day and Vilkas at night. The alchemist would visit once per day to check on Farkas, but there was not much she could do to help. Three weeks passed, and with each passing day, Farkas' condition worsened. There was an evening, after the alchemist left and before Vilkas arrived, that Laethea sat down beside Farkas and held his hand without saying anything for the longest time.

"What is it, love?" Farkas called out to her.

"…Nothing," Laethea smiled at him. "You'll beat this again. I know you will."

"You're right," Farkas smiled back at her. "I promised to go with you and Mykolas to High Hrothgar."

Another week went by, but Farkas' condition was soon at the worst it had ever been. Laethea did not sleep anymore, and she barely ate. She made sure that Mykolas was happy and healthy, and she put on a smile for him, but she was truly heartbroken. Farkas' illness continued to worsen until the night Laethea and Vilkas was certain… They called for Aela to tend to Mykolas while they sat beside Farkas, Laethea's hand wrapped around his. They told the alchemist to not come, but she did anyway for support. After all, she had been there the night Laethea gave birth. Snow gently fell outside, and the area all around was white. Farkas had always loved the way snow glistened when the morning sun shone on it. He loved winter, and at nights, Laethea and Mykolas would lay with him to keep warm. This night, however, he was cold to the touch, and his breathing was labored. Vilkas gripped his twin brother's shoulder, tears in his eyes. Farkas had been asleep, but he opened his eyes and looked at his wife.

"Love?" he weakly called to her.

"Yes, Farkas?"

"Just… seeing if you were here… I can't see you anymore…"

Laethea swallowed hard and blinked back tears. "I'm holding your hand. Can you feel it?"

Farkas smiled. "I can. You're so warm…"

Laethea rubbed his hands with her fingers; he was so cold, and it scared her.

"Is Mykolas here?"

"Aela is playing with him."

"That's good." Farkas closed his eyes. "I'm… a little tired… I think I'll get some rest now."

"Stay awake," Laethea softly pleaded, "just for a little longer."

"Okay, I'll try," Farkas said. "Laethea?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Laethea tightened her grip slightly on his hand, a tear splashing onto the back of her hand. "I love you, too." Farkas smiled and closed his eyes. Vilkas looked at Laethea and shook his head, tears instantly falling down his cheeks. Laethea understood, but she held firmly onto Farkas' hand. "Farkas, open your eyes." She shook him slightly. "Farkas? Hey, you remember your promises, right? That you would always be by our side, and that we were going to take Mykolas to High Hrothgar next summer? You can't break a promise, so wake up." Farkas' eyes remained closed, and his chest did not rise anymore. Tears spilt over onto Laethea's cheeks. Everything they had ever done, all the love they shared, the time they spent together, the promises made… If she would have known that it would have came to this… The future was so uncertain anymore. She never thought that she would lose him. They had fought together, and he lived through the battles, but to lose him to an unknown illness made no sense.

But what she did know… what she did feel… was certain. Her love, partner, best friend, and the father of her child, was gone.

~I know this chapter was sad, but stick with it, please! More chapters to come!~


	2. Chapter 2

When Farkas passed away, Laethea lost a piece of who she was. At first, she tried her best to live life just one day at a time, but she soon lost sight of what it meant to live. Aela would come over and take care of Mykolas while Laethea went out to hunt. Many times, Laethea would not return for days at a time, leaving Aela to tend to Mykolas, who would sob for his father and mother; how could a child understand the finality of death and the meaning of true heartbreak? Aela understood Laethea's behavior, but she knew that she needed to talk to her soon; Mykolas needed his mother. A month passed by with Laethea's behavior not changing. Just as Aela made her mind up to speak to Laethea, she showed up with Mykolas at Dragonsreach and asked the Companions to take Mykolas in "just until she got her act together." They happily agreed to do so, but Mykolas was saddened by this, and at first would cry for his mother every night. Despite Laethea being so close to Dragonsreach, she was so far away. She would go on quests for the Jarl and would be gone for long periods of time just to avoid staying in the home that held so many memories. Soon, Laethea was never home, nor was she seen in Whiterun.

Time pressed on, just like it always does. Three years passed by.

Laethea stood in front of Breezehome, key in her hand. In all of Skyrim, there was nothing more to be done, and everyone she met advised her to take a "much-needed" break. What they did not know was that she did not want to return home. She sighed, unlocked the door, and walked inside, surprised to see it clean. She remembered that she had given Aela a key as well, and that perhaps she had come by to keep the place clean just in case Laethea returned. For a couple of minutes, she just stood there and stared at her home. Emptiness returned to her heart, and she went up to the room where Lydia used to sleep. Before she entered the small room, she stopped in front of the room which she and Farkas shared together. Three years, and it still was not easy.

When she lay on the bed, she was astonished at how quickly she fell asleep. People were not kidding; she was tired. After nearly four hours of sleep, she could have sworn she heard the door to her home open and close. For a minute or two, she listened to see if anyone had entered the home, but she heard nothing, so she went to sleep; however, in only ten minutes, she opened her eyes, now sure someone was in the house. When she did, she saw a child peeking through the crack of the door.

"I can see you," Laethea spoke, "so you might as well come on out." A moment lapsed, and Laethea could tell the child was hesitant. "Go on, I won't hurt you." The door slowly creaked open, and when the child entered the room, Laethea's heart stopped. Mykolas, now eight years old, stood before her. He looked exactly like Farkas, minus his eyes. "Wh-what are you doing here, Mykolas?"

"Auntie Aela brought me here," he replied matter-of-factly.

"Oh, she did?"

"Yeah," Mykolas nodded. "She said the Companions were going on a trip, and I was too young to go. She heard you were back and brought me here."

"Did she say when she'd be back?"

"Umm…" Mykolas looked up at the ceiling, visibly trying to remember. "Nope."

"…Great…" Laethea sighed. Mykolas stood at the door, staring at his mother, for a few minutes. Laethea exhaled impatiently. "Why don't you go play?"

"I want to play with you."

"I'm tired," Laethea responded, lying back on her bed. "Let me get some sleep, and I'll take you somewhere."

"You mean it?" Mykolas smiled.

"Sure," Laethea yawned as she closed her eyes. She heard Mykolas run down the stairs, and she soon fell asleep. In what seemed to be only mere minutes, she felt her son poking her gently. She opened her eyes to see his face just inches away from hers, his huge eyes focused on her. "What?"

"Had enough sleep yet?" he asked, a smile on his face.

"No."

"Oh," Mykolas simply stated as he looked down at the floor.

Laethea noticed he was bored, so she sighed and stood up. "All right, let's go."

"Yay!" Mykolas giggled. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know."

"Can I pick?" Mykolas questioned.

"No," Laethea quickly replied as she stretched.

"Oh… okay! Then pick a really cool place to go!" Mykolas beamed.

When they walked outside of Whiterun, Laethea had no idea where she could take him. Honestly, she did not really want to go anywhere. She was tired and irritable; she really needed sleep, but Mykolas (in his youthful state) was ready to "play." The thought entered her mind that maybe she could tire him out by just walking around and having him follow her, so she tried that; however, this proved to be ineffective. Mykolas was full of energy that was for sure. She would often snap at him to stay by her side after discovering he had ran off to watch a lizard crawl up a rock, or to a small patch of flowers to see the butterflies. Despite her being so hateful toward him, he remained happy and kept a smile on his face. Why was she so bitter toward him? Was it because he looked just like… She stopped thinking when she realized Mykolas was running toward something. Confused, she looked ahead to see him running toward the skeleton of the first dragon she ever killed. He began to climb the bones of the dragon, giggling while he did.

"Don't do that, Mykolas. You'll fa-" The words had not even left her mouth when she saw him take a tumble to the ground. While he fell, he hit his head on one of the bones; Laethea was sure to have heard it collide. He sat up and held his head, biting his lip in effort to not cry from the pain. She walked to him and knelt down beside him. Tears were in his eyes, but he held them back. "See? I told you. Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," Mykolas answered through gritted teeth.

"Let me take a look," Laethea said. She lowered his hands to see a cut on his forehead, which was bleeding. She exhaled in annoyance. "Now look at what you've done. You've gotten hurt because you didn't listen to me." Mykolas crossed his arms and formed his lip in a pout. "You can be mad at me all you want, but it's the truth. Let's go to the alchemist and have her help you."

She stood up and looked down at Mykolas. He rose to his feet and brushed himself off then crossed his arms again. "But I wanna play!"

"No, Mykolas. You're hurt."

"But it doesn't even hurt anymore!"

"End of discussion!" Laethea lashed.

Mykolas' lip quivered, but he held it in. "When is Aela coming back?"

"Who knows?"

"I wanted to go with her."

"Well, you're stuck with me. Now, let's go."

On their way back to Whiterun, Mykolas was not as playful or energetic, which gave Laethea a moment's reprieve. All the way there, he walked behind her with his arms crossed and his bottom lip stuck out in a pout, and neither one of them spoke a word. She took him to the alchemist, who gave Laethea a salve to rub on the wound twice per day in order to speed the healing process and prevent infection. The alchemist was amazed at how much Mykolas had grown, and even more amazed at how much he looked like Farkas. Before they exited the shop, Mykolas thanked the alchemist for her help; the alchemist told Laethea she would be by later to check on him. That night, the alchemist came by and examined Mykolas' wound. She informed them that the wound would scar, but smiled and told him that he was closer to becoming at "grown-up" since he had his first scar, which in turn made Mykolas smile. After putting Mykolas to bed, the alchemist asked Laethea to step outside so that they could talk in private.

The nighttime sky was full of stars, and the air was pure. A slight wind blew and rustled the greenery. Laethea commented on the peaceful night, to which the alchemist agreed. Silence lasted between the two of them for a moment, but the alchemist turned toward Laethea.

"I've been talking to Aela and the Companions, asking questions on how Mykolas is growing up."

"Oh?"

The alchemist looked up at the sky. "I know it's been hard," she began. "Losing Farkas was hard on everyone. I can't even begin to imagine how it affected you."

"Don't talk about Farkas."

"What? Do you think that not addressing him is just going to make it go away?" the alchemist asked. Laethea bit her lip. "I know it broke you… I was there the entire time. I felt like I failed your family because I could not save him."

"It wasn't your fault," Laethea reassured.

"Maybe… but that's not what's important," the alchemist said. "Laethea, your son needs you. You've been gone three years of his life. He needs his mother, not the Companions or Aela."

Laethea bit her lip again. "I can't…"

The alchemist put her left hand on Laethea's shoulder and made eye contact with her. "I know. It's because he looks like him, isn't it? That should be blessing, Laethea, not a curse. You have a little piece of Farkas right in front of you. When you think it is just impossible to keep going, just look at your son. In his eyes, you'll find happiness."

Laethea's eyes filled with tears. The alchemist was right; she needed to be a mother now. She had been for the first five years of Mykolas' life, but she thought that when she lost Farkas, she could not be an adequate parent without her husband's help. Instead of finding a way to make ends meet, she became a coward and ran away. Mykolas would probably never forgive her. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, she heard Mykolas calling out for her through the door. She excused herself and ran inside, up the stairs and into the room where she and Farkas used to sleep to find Mykolas sitting up in bed, hugging a pillow. She kneeled down in front of him.

"What's the matter, Mykolas?" she asked tenderly. For the first time, she used a motherly tone to her son.

"I had a bad dream…" Mykolas whimpered.

"Oh? Do you want to tell me about it?" Laethea offered. Mykolas shook his head. "Why not?"

"…It'll make you sad."

"No, it won't. Tell me. It'll make you feel better," Laethea smiled softly at him. For a minute, Mykolas did not say a word. He started to, but stopped. "Hmm?"

"…I dreamed about Daddy."

These words took the breath out of Laethea's lungs. He remembered Farkas. Even though he was so young, he remembered his father. When she could finally breathe again, she told Mykolas to tell her what the dream was.

"I dreamed he was still here… I dreamed that it was back to the way it used to be… but then, he was suddenly gone, and so were you…" Mykolas shakily spoke, trying to hold back tears. "I miss Daddy… and I missed you… But I know you were sad. Everyone says I look like Daddy, so that must have made you cry a lot." He wrapped his arms around her neck. "I'm sorry, Mommy."

Before Laethea knew it, tears began burning her eyes. Her vision became blurry as the tears brimmed her eyes. Hearing her son call her "Mommy" made her realize how wrong she had been all these years. She had abandoned Mykolas, her son, for too long. She never should have left him in the first place. He was a remarkable little boy with a heart as big as Farkas' was. How could she even begin to make it up to him? The three years was lost and could never be gotten back, but she knew she could change and be the mother she was before.

"Mykolas?" she called.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to come back here to stay? I know I've failed at being a Mommy, but I would like to try again. Would that be okay?"

"I would love that very much," Mykolas replied. "But… um…"

Laethea looked up to see Mykolas looked down at the floor, his eyes full of nervousness and sadness. "What is it?"

"…You won't leave me again, right?" Mykolas asked. "Because… it made me really sad when you did."

Laethea smiled warmly at Mykolas. "I'm not going anywhere, Mykolas."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Mykolas bowed his head, his eyes hidden from Laethea's view. Soon, she saw water trickle down his cheeks, and his shoulders began to move up and down. He heard him sniffle, and it hit her then.

"Mykolas?" she called out again. He did not respond. "Why are you crying?" He still did not respond to her. "Why are you crying?" she asked again, this time wrapping her arms around her son. He began to cry aloud, his tears soaking her shoulder. Before she could stop herself, Laethea began to weep as well, releasing tears that had been held in for three years. After they finished crying, Laethea decided to tell Mykolas about how she and Farkas had met. While she told the story, it fully hit her how much she missed her husband. Three years, and the pain was still as strong as it was the day he passed away. Just when she thought she could not finish the tale, she looked at Mykolas and saw that a smile was on his face; he was happy to hear tales about the kind of person his father was.

_Farkas, _she thought, _I thought when I lost you that I lost my happiness as well. I was wrong. _She smiled at Mykolas and wrapped her hand around his hand. He smiled at her as well, his eyes lit up from joy. _My happiness was right here… right within my grasp… all this time._


	3. Chapter 3

Time now no longer felt like it was being used to forget. Laethea's days were consumed with being a full-time mother, and despite the fact it had been three years since Farkas' death, she found it easy to resume being a mother. The alchemist gladly allowed her to come back and resume work at her shop while Mykolas was in school, and the moment he was let out of school, Laethea met him at Breezehome. She would help him with his studies, cook him meals, and play with him. She still found it difficult to even pass by the room she and Farkas had shared so many memories in; Mykolas now resided in that room while she slept in the room Lydia used to stay in. On the days the alchemist's store was closed, Laethea would go hunting so that she and Mykolas would have food, and she even began growing a garden. Four months passed quickly, and Laethea found herself starting to feel renewed. One day, she and Mykolas heard a knock on their door. Mykolas, with Laethea's consent, opened the door, surprised to see Vilkas standing there.

"Uncle Vilkas!" Mykolas smiled as he hugged him. Vilkas embraced his nephew then looked at Laethea. Laethea could not deny that seeing Vilkas filled her heart with pain. Since he and Farkas were monozygotic twins, they looked identical to each other. On the other hand, the two could not have been more different than night and day… and Farkas had been her day. Farkas was always willing to help people, even if money was not promised or included. Vilkas would help as long as there was a reward. Vilkas was more brutal with his words than Farkas, who would often bite his tongue so as not to hurt anyone. Vilkas was more tactical, but Farkas was all about brute force and "getting things done quickly." Farkas was quiet, but when he spoke, people listened. Vilkas was more opinionated and verbal. The main trait that made Laethea fall in love with Farkas was his compassion and unselfishness; Vilkas did not have that, at least not to her.

"Hello, Laethea," Vilkas greeted. That was another thing Laethea did not understand. Although they were twins, Vilkas had somehow or another developed a completely different accent. She always wondered why this was so but had never bothered to ask.

"Vilkas," Laethea nodded. Vilkas just stood at the entrance, his arms down to his sides. "Oh, silly me. Come on in." Vilkas nodded, walked in, and shut the door behind him. "I take it the Companions are back?"

Before he could answer, Laethea felt a tug on her skirt. She looked down to see Mykolas. "Can I go play upstairs?"

"You may," she nodded. Mykolas quickly ran up the stairs and into his room. They heard the door shut.

"We arrived last night around midnight," Vilkas replied. "Sorry for leaving Mykolas in such short notice. I've come to retrieve him."

Laethea smiled as she shook her head. "That won't be necessary, Vilkas. He's at home now."

Vilkas crossed his arms. "So, you finally decided to be a mother, did you?"

The blow from these words hit her hard, but Laethea kept a smile on her face. "I have."

"Did you ask him what he wants?"

"I did," she replied, "and he said he wanted to stay here."

Vilkas uncrossed his arms and walked over to a weapon's rack. His eyes stopped on Wuuthrad; Farkas had proven himself more than anyone in the Companions, and it was because of this that he was given this legendary weapon. He forced back the tears as he touched the weapon that his twin brother had once carried and used with might and precision. "That's good that he is giving you a second chance."

Laethea walked to Vilkas and placed her hand on top of his. "You can take it, Vilkas."

Vilkas jerked his head up and looked into Laethea's eyes. "What?"

Laethea smiled and looked down at Wuuthrad. "Wuuthrad. You can take it with you."

Vilkas took a step back, his hand slipping out of Laethea's. "But, it was my brother's."

"No," Laethea disagreed, "it belongs to the Companions… to someone who is worthy to use it." She reached down, picked it up, and held it. "Farkas would agree that his brother is the next person who is worthy."

Vilkas' eyes held the utmost sorrow. "I did not come here for this."

"I know."

"I cannot take this."

"I want you to," Laethea insisted softly. "If it stays here, it's just going to collect dust. Farkas and I would love it if you took it. It would be used."

Hesitantly, Vilkas reached out and wrapped his hands around Wuuthrad's handle. He took it out of Laethea's hold and stared at it for the longest time. No words were spoken during this time, but they could hear Mykolas playing and giggling upstairs. The giggling was interrupted by sobbing. Laethea looked to see Vilkas' back facing her and his shoulders were moving up and down, obviously crying. Farkas was Vilkas' twin. They had grown up together, fought together in the Companions. Vilkas was still in unimaginable pain, as was Laethea. She reached out for him, but he stepped back.

"I apologize," he shakily spoke.

"There is nothing to be sorry for," Laethea said. "Besides, I'm the one who is sorry. I was wrong to have left Mykolas. I shut down when I should have stepped up and been there for him… and for you."

Vilkas blushed slightly. This surprised Laethea, for she had never seen Vilkas blush. "I had Aela there for me."

Laethea smiled. "Aela, huh? So, what about you two?"

"We're in love," Vilkas replied, still blushing.

"That's wonderful, Vilkas!"

Vilkas sat down on a chair and set Wuuthrad on his lap. "What about you?"

Laethea sat down on a chair that faced Vilkas. "What about me?"

"Have you… found someone? It's been three years."

"No," she brashly responded. "To be honest, I do not want to. Farkas and I were married for nearly eleven years… I cannot imagine…"

"It was just a question, Laethea. By all means, take all the time you need," Vilkas said.

After that short conversation, Vilkas changed the subject and spent another hour or so at the house. He ate supper with them and briefly played with his nephew before returning to Jorrvaskr. When Vilkas left, Laethea began to clean up after supper, and that was when she noticed it. She still wore her wedding band. Three years later, and it was still on her finger. She had become so accustomed to wearing it that she hardly noticed it was on anymore. For about a minute, she stood still and stared at the ring.

"Mama?" she heard Mykolas call out to her. She blinked and turned to see him leaning over the arm of a chair, his big brown eyes fixated on hers.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"I wanna go on a trip!"

"You do?" Laethea asked. "Where to?"

"Hmm… Oh, I know! The dragon skeleton!"

Laethea dried off a plate with a towel. "But I've already taken you there. You can decide wherever you want, and I'll take you."

Mykolas hopped off the arm of the chair, a smile beaming on his face. "But I wanna go there."

Laethea placed the plate up in the cupboard and looked at her son. "Why would you want to go to a place you've already been to?"

Mykolas put his hands on his hips. "Because that's the first place Mama took me since Daddy died, that's why."

Eyes wide in disbelief, Laethea had to take a moment to catch her breath. When she could finally breathe again, she set her dish towel down on the table and walked to Mykolas, where she knelt down in front of him and looked into his eyes. "You really liked it there?" He nodded. "But why? Mama was really hateful to you, and you got hurt."

Mykolas still had a smile on his face. "Because you took me there even though you didn't want to go, so you must've wanted me happy. I had a lot of fun, and I would like it very much if we could go back. This time, we can play together!"

Tears stung her eyes now. He was so forgiving, so thoughtful. Despite her bitterness and lethargy, he was happy just to be with her again. "Mykolas…" She embraced him and began to cry. This confused Mykolas.

"Mama? Did I say something bad?"

Laethea pulled away from her son and wiped her tears away. "No, honey. You just made your mama very happy."

"Oh, so you can cry from happiness, too? Well, that's just confusing. When do I know which one to cry from?"

Laethea laughed and rustled Mykolas' hair. "You'll know, sweetheart." One last tear escaped from her eye, but she wiped it away. "How about this? We'll go tomorrow after school and when I get off work. Does that sound good?"

Mykolas started running in place, which caused Laethea to laugh again. "Uh-huh!"

She rustled Mykolas' hair again, a smile on her face. Tomorrow, they were going on a "trip," and this time, she was going to make it the best trip Mykolas had ever been on since Farkas' death. She made a promise to herself that she would see to it.


	4. Chapter 4

"Mama, look! Watch me!" Mykolas laughed as he climbed up the ribs of the dragon skeleton. At the very sight of the skeleton, he took off running toward it, leaving Laethea in the dust. She ran to catch up to him in slight fears that he would fall and get hurt again, but this time, he climbed with ease. "Mama, are you watching?"

"Yes, sweetheart," Laethea replied, a chuckle in her voice, as she continued to observe her son climb the skeleton. His scar on his forehead was not as bad as they had initially thought it was going to be, but since that day and the talk with the alchemist, Laethea was ever watchful around Mykolas so that he would not get hurt again. One scar was enough.

The sun shone brightly in the blue sky, and not a cloud was in sight. All around, they could see deer, elk, and mammoths wandering around the vast, open field. Red, purple, and orange mountain flowers scattered all around the area, and they could see bees and insects at work, pollinating the flowers to ensure their never-ending cycle. Nearby, they could hear the creek's water rushing over rocks. It was days like today that Laethea missed Farkas unimaginably. She then thought about Vilkas and Aela; perhaps they were to wed any day now. She was happy for them both and wanted nothing more than for their happiness, like she and Farkas had.

That day was filled with excitement and fun. She took Mykolas fishing, and while at the river, she taught him to swim. She was amazed at how quickly he learned. It was near nightfall when they began to make their way back home. Laethea could tell Mykolas was tired, so she picked him up and carried him; it did not take him long to fall asleep in her arms. Once home, she debated on whether or not she could enter the bedroom to place Mykolas in his bed. She knew she had to take care of him, so she slowly and quietly opened the bedroom door, walked in, and gently laid Mykolas on his bed. She kissed him on the forehead and walked out the bedroom, an odd sort of emptiness in her chest. Yet, despite her longing for her husband, she was happy. The next morning, when she awoke Mykolas to get him ready for school, he hugged her and thanked her for the "adventure."

A year passed by. A year that was full of laughter, happiness, some sadness, and love. During that year, Vilkas and Aela married, and they invited Laethea and Mykolas to their wedding. Also in the course of that year, Mykolas grew in body and in wisdom. Laethea was proud of her son, who was now nine. Times were full of joys and lessons about love and life. Mykolas brought undeniable bliss to Laethea, and she was ever so fortunate that he had given her another chance.

One wintery afternoon, Laethea went out to hunt since she and Mykolas were low on meat. She had Vilkas and Aela watch over her son while she was away. While she traveled through the fields of Whiterun, she observed the deer and elk in order to decide which one was the "best." Just as she made her decision and strung an arrow, she felt a peculiar but intense pain in her lower left back. She grunted and turned around to see four bandits standing there, one with a bow in her hand. Her heart racing in panic, Laethea strung the bow and shot the arrow at one of the bandits as snow began to fall. It had been years since she had fought at all, and she hoped that she could fight them to return home to her son.

Mykolas stood at the window, viewing the snow as it fell and accumulated. He sighed and twisted his little body around in anxiety.

"What's wrong, Mykolas?" Aela called.

"Mama's late."

"She said she was going hunting, sweetie," Aela reminded him.

"She is normally back by now," Mykolas spoke, almost in a whisper. "Uncle Vilkas, can we go look for her?"

Vilkas looked at Aela, who simply smiled and nodded. "Sure. Let's all go."

Mykolas smiled and ran out the door, Vilkas and Aela following. They ran to the gate and opened it. Once outside, what they saw filled their hearts with fear and shock. Lying in front of the gate, bloodied and beaten, was Laethea. Mykolas ran to her, despite Aela trying to hold him back, and knelt down next to her. She was still alive, but barely. There was a blood trail on the snow behind her, and Vilkas and Aela conjectured she had crawled all the way to the gate to try to get back to her son. Mykolas wrapped his hand around his mother's right hand while Vilkas knelt down to her and put his hand on her forehead.

"Mama?" Mykolas shakily called out.

Laethea looked at her child and smiled weakly at him. "Mykolas…"

Aela examined the arrow that stuck in Laethea's back and whispered to her husband that it was the dastardly work of bandits.

"Mama…"

"I'm here, sweetheart. I came back to you, just like I promised."

Tears rolled down Mykolas' cheeks. "Mama, don't leave me… not you, too."

Vilkas clenched the fist that was not on Laethea's forehead, picked her up gently, and had Aela open the gate. He was not going to let Laethea die like this. He was not going to let Mykolas lose his mother as well, just as he got her back. Mykolas still clutched onto his mother's hand with tears rolling down his cheeks, he and Aela followed Vilkas to the Temple of Kynareth. Once there, the priests and priestesses began to try to heal Laethea while Aela stayed with Mykolas in the sanctuary. She started to hug the boy, but he walked away from her to the Statue of Kynareth, where he leaned his forehead on it, hears tears falling faster.

"Kynareth… Mara… all the gods and goddesses… please save mama." He closed his eyes. "I want things to go back to the way it was before Daddy died… I want us to be a happy family again… Don't take Mama away…"

At this prayer, time seemed to come to a halt. Everything froze, including the tears that fell from Mykolas' eyes. The clocks' hands stopped as well, and the snow outside lingered in the air.

_Darkness filled the area. Was she asleep? Had she passed away? There was no noise, and was as if she was floating in the emptiness of time and space. Her eyes were closed, and for whatever reason that was unknown to her, she could not open them. Her body did not hurt her anymore, and she thought this odd since the wounds she had received from the bandits were life-threatening. She had managed to wipe them out and crawl to the gate. The last thing she recalled was Vilkas carrying her to the Temple of Kynareth. _

"_The little one's prayers have reached us, Dragonborn," she heard a female speak. _

"_Such strong belief in a child… How I wish that more had his faith," a man said. _

"_Shall we take you back to a time that you have so long wished to return to?" another woman asked. _

"_Is that wise?" a second man vocalized. "Permit yourselves to consider what happened when she lost him. She detached herself from the world, and more importantly, her son." _

"_I believe she will make the right choice if something to that nature occurs again," the woman who was the first to speak answered. _

"_You are exceedingly providential, Dragonborn," the second man stated. "If it had not been for your efforts to save Skyrim, you would not be given this opportunity. Do not fail us." _

_The voices stopped speaking to her, and she soon felt like she was flying backwards. _

When she opened her eyes, she saw that Farkas was lying in the bed in front of her, his eyes closed. Her hand was wrapped around his, and Vilkas and the alchemist were in the room with them. Instantly, she recalled the night she lost Farkas. Had the gods and goddesses decided to punish her for all eternity by making her witness her husband's death over and over again? It was too much for her to bear, and before she could stop herself, she began to sob out loud. All at once, she felt Farkas gently squeeze her hand, which made her look at him with shock in her eyes.

"Love? What's the matter? Why are you crying?" he weakly asked.

At first, she was speechless. She stared at her husband for the longest time. Even Vilkas and the alchemist seemed stunned. The alchemist then ran to get a priest to see what was going on. Farkas rubbed Laethea's hand with his fingers as tears continued to roll down her face.

"Why am I crying? Because I'm going to lose you…"

Farkas chuckled feebly. "I'm not going anywhere, Laethea. Like you said, I'm going to beat this." He reached down and started to push himself up in bed, but he was too weak, so he had Laethea and Vilkas help him sit up. Laethea felt his body, surprised to feel that it was gaining some heat back. Tears still falling, she leaned up and looked Farkas in his eyes.

"This… this is real? Please tell me this is real."

Farkas laughed again. "You need some sleep, love. You are acting oddly."

"Farkas…" Laethea sobbed as she kissed his forehead.

A priest and priestess came back with the alchemist, and they examined Farkas to find that somehow or another (a miracle, they called it), the illness that they had tried for so long to fight was fading. Immediately, Farkas asked for his son, and Aela brought Mykolas up to see his father. The priest, priestess, and the alchemist informed Laethea that it would take time for Farkas to get back to full health, and perhaps he would never get his full strength and brawn back, to which Laethea replied that it did not matter to her; she was just elated to have her husband back. She remembered this night differently, as well as things that occurred after his death. On the other hand, she did not complain and was thankful to the gods and goddesses, as well as her "future" son's prayer, for giving her this blessing. Mykolas sat on the side of Farkas' bed and held his father's hand; Farkas was smiling and laughing, still faintly due to his weakness, but it did everyone good to hear his laughter and see his smile.

The healing process took some time, just like they said it would. All the while, Laethea, Mykolas, the alchemist, Vilkas, and Aela helped Farkas in any way they could. He had lost so much weight, and he barely had any muscle anymore. Regardless, they stuck by him and helped him. Mykolas gave everyone strength to keep going. Through all this, Vilkas and Aela fell in love and set a date when they were going to get married. They made Farkas promise that he would be able to attend the wedding at the Temple of Mara in Riften in three months, to which he smiled and said, "You can count on me." Three months later, after much rehabilitation with sweat and exhaustion to accompany it, Laethea, Farkas, and Mykolas watched as the priest married Vilkas and Aela. Despite not being up to full health and strength, Farkas was happy to attend the wedding. During the ceremony, Laethea held onto Farkas' hand, reminiscing on their wedding day. Time went on, and nearly two years later, Vilkas and Aela welcomed a daughter into the world. They named her Abigael, and Mykolas was excited to have a baby cousin.

Even though two years had gone by, Farkas had to accept that he would never be as strong as he was before the sickness struck him; however, he did not mind at all. He was given more time to spend with his family that was growing bigger. He was a husband, brother, father, and uncle. His world revolved around his family. He could still work at the forge and make weapons, and some of his muscles had come back. Laethea could still recall the "other" life she had lived, and while Mykolas had made her happy in it, she was thrilled to have this life. Another year of this happy life passed, and happiness filled their lives again when Laethea discovered she was with child. Nine months later, a baby girl was born, and they named her Olette.

Two years later, the entire family took the trip to High Hrothgar. When Arngier opened the door, he smiled at the family and the Dragonborn, whom was holding a bundled-up, two-year old Olette in her right arm and holding onto Farkas' hand with her left hand, and Farkas who held onto Mykolas' hand with his other hand. Vilkas and Aela held onto both hands of their daughter.

No matter what the future held, they would face it together.


End file.
